Large glass window lets light into the cozy coffee shop inside the Swedish Seaman's church, one of the hidden coffee shops in NYC

New York City has no shortage of coffee shops and we’ve discovered many of them (it’s not very hard work!) — from coziest, to coffee shops that are combined with other businesses, most design-oriented. Today, we are sharing our favorite hidden coffee shops. Among these are range of hidden coffee shops with really represent a wide range of possible experiences in  New York City, from under historic churches, in a subway station, and on top of a notable auction house.

We applied strict criteria for these secret spots: 1. The location must primarily function as a coffee shop 2. There must be a dedicated portion of the floor for making and serving coffee and/or food, as well as having seating for guests 3. It cannot be seen from the street. 4. It cannot have a permanent sign on the street denoting its existence. As such, we deliberately did not include places that have a coffee bar inside a retail shop, for example, or a cafe inside a museum.

Greenwich Village Coffee Tour

Coffee sacks Inside Porto Rico Importing Company

Uncover more of New York City’s best coffee houses on our upcoming Greenwich Village Cofee Tour and Tasting where you’ll sample an espresso, drip coffee, chocolate-covered coffee beans, and a cappuccino while learning the surprising coffee history of NYC!

1. Voyager Espresso

Voyager Espresso, one of NYC's hidden coffee shops inside a subway station

Underneath 110 William Street in Lower Manhattan, an underground hallway that leads to one of the more underutilized entrances to Fulton Street station is home to Voyager Espresso, a tiny coffee shop that in-the-know New Yorkers love. It is definitely hard to find  — you can find it from the particular John Street exit of the subway or by going through a door in the lobby of the building and heading down.

The coffee shop roasts its own beans, serves drinks in flasks and bottles, and has a pretty extensive menu of tasty sandwiches (soft-boiled egg tomato arugula toast, peanut butter honey arugula toast, and avocado toast), breakfast foods, even a ginseng chicken soup.